Knockdown box



Nov. 20, 1945. H. c. SKELL KNOCKDOWN BOX Filed Aug. 4, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR Herbert C Skell ATTORNEYS H. 'C. SKELL KNOCKDOWN BOX Nov. 20, 1945.

Filed Aug. 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Herbert C Skeu/ ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 20, 1945 KNOCKDOWN BOX Herbert C. Skell, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor to The Hinde & Dauch Paper Company, Sandusky, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 4, 1943, Serial No. 497,328

2 Claims.

This invention relates to boxes of the knockdown type made of relatively stiff sheet material such as corrugated paper board divided into panels and flaps by scored, creased or otherwise weakened fold lines which hingedly connect the panels and flaps so that fiat pieces of the sheet material'may be folded to form the box.

' It is an object of the invention to provide a box that possesses superior rigidity and strength and that can be quickly and easily assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knockdown box composed of two pieces of sheet material that can be quickly and easily assembled and folded into interlocking relation and which can be quickly and easily unfolded and laid flat for storage o shipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knockdown box which has relatively rigid walls releasably locked together and held in upright position by means of interengaging flaps carried by the walls.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be the knockdown box as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the claims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the box partially assembled; I

Figure 3 is a section taken onthe line indicated at 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the two fold able pieces of sheet material employed in making the box; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the other foldable piece of sheet material that interlocks with the first to complete the box.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the box of the present invention is composed of two pieces of sheet material such as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, one ofwhich forms the front wall, bottom, back wall and lid, and the other of which completes the box and interlocks with the first piece to position the walls of the box and fasten them together.

The piece of sheet material forming the front,

bottom and rear walls and the lid is shown in Figure 5 of the drawings and this piece has a central panel I adapted to form the bottom of the box and an adjoining panel 2 connected with the panel I by a fold' line 3 and adapted to form the rear. Wall of the box. A panel 4 is joined to the panel I, by a fold line, 5 and is adapted to the front wall of the box. The rear wall panel 2 is provided with end fiaps 6 hingedly connected thereto by fold lines i and the front Wall panel 4 is provided with end flaps 8 hingedly connected thereto by fold lines 9. The panels 2 and 4 are adapted to be folded up about the fold lines 3 and 5 to positions at right angles to the bottom panel I and the width of flaps 6 and 8 is substantially one-half the width of the bottom I so that the flaps 6 and 8 are adapted to abut edge to edge when swung to positions at right angles to the panels 2 and 4 after the latter panels have been moved to upright position. The front wall panel 4 has a flap I0 connected to its top edge by a double fold line II and a longitudinal slot I2 is formed in the fold line Ii intermediate the ends thereof. The fiap I0 is adapted to be folded inwardly against the inner face of the panel 4 when the box is assembled so that the slot 12 opens to the top edge of the front wall. A lid I3 is hingedly connected to the top edge of the back panel 2 by means of a fold'line I4 and the lid I3 has a hinged tongue I5 at its free edge which is connected thereto by a fold line I6, the tongue I5 being adapted to enter the slot I2 and to be frictionally held between the front panel 4 and flap II) to releasably retain the lid in closed position.

The second piece of material used in forming the box is shown in Figure 6 and has a central or bottom panel Il that is adapted to rest upon and cover thekbottom panel I of the piece first described. End wall panels it are hingedly connected to the panel ll by fold lines It and each of the panels I8 has a fiap connected thereto by a double fold line 2|.

In assembling the box, the piece of sheet material shown in Figure 6 of the drawings is placed upon the piece of material shown in Figure 5 at right angles thereto with the panel Il lying upon and covering the panel I. wall panels 2 and 4 are then swung upwardly to vertical position and the flaps B and 8 are'folded inwardly to positions at right angles to the panels 2 and 4 to bring them into the same plane at each end of the box with their free edges in engagement as shown-in Figure 2. The end wall panels I8 are then folded upwardly against the exterior faces of the flaps 6 and 8 and the flaps The front and rear 20 are folded downwardly against the interior faces of the flaps 6 and 8 after which the flap I is folded inwardly against the inner face of the front wall panel 4.

As shown in Figure 5, the bottom edges of the flaps 6 and 8 are offset from the fold lines 3 and a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the sheet material, so that when the panels 2 and A are folded to upright position, the lower edges of the flaps are spaced above the bottom I enough to permit them to be folded inwardly over the top surface of the panel H. The side edges of the front wall flap H) are offset inwardly from the fold lines 9 substantially the thickness of the sheet material to make the width of the flap such that it is adapted to fit snugly between the flaps 2a when it is swung inwardly against the inner face of the front wall panel 4. The edges of the flap l0 engage with the inner faces of the two flaps 20 to hold these flaps tightly against the interior faces of the flaps 6 and 8, the frictional engagement between edges of flaps I'D and the faces of the flaps 20 'alsoserving to hold the flaps H) in vertical position.

The flap l0 thus serves as a locking flap to retain the upright walls of the box in operative position. While the flaps l0 and '20 will coact as above described if made shorter than herein shown, it is preferred that these flaps be full depth flaps having their freeedges closely adjacent the upper bottom panel 11. If desired the flaps may frictionally engage the panel 11 to assist in retaining them in vertical position. The flaps 6 and '8 are preferably of a height to fit snugly between the bottom panel I! and the interiorsof the double folds 2| at the tops of the end walls so that the front and rear walls are firmly held by the end walls.

The lid I3 is preferably of *asize to 'lie flush with the outer surfaces of the front andend walls when in its closed position resting upon the doubled edges of said front and end walls and is held in closed position by frictional engagement of its tongue 15 with the front paneld'and flaps I i] of the front wall.

The box can 'be readily knocked down by first moving the flap l'fi upwardly and outwardly and then opening the flaps '20, after which the two pieces of sheet material may 'be folded flat'.

It will be apparent that the present invention provides a box having strong and relatively rigid walls that can be quicklyass'em'bled or knocked down and that'requires'no'separate fastening .elements or special locking tabs to retain it in assembled operative position.

It will also be apparent that various modifications of the construction herein shown and deends thereof, a lid panel hingedly connected by a fold line to the top edge of said back panel and a tongue of a width to enter said slot hingedly connected .to the free edge of said lid panel, said front and back panels having hinged end flaps adapted to be positioned in a plane at right angles to said front and back panels, the other of said pieces having a central panel corresponding to the bottom wall panel of the first piece and adapted to overlie the same, end wall forming panels hingedly connected at their bottom edges by fold lines to the opposite ends-of said central panel and inturned flaps hingedly connected to the top edges of said end wall panels, said inturned flapsextending substantially the full depth of the box with the front wall flap-engaging the interior faces of said end wall flaps, said end flaps being interposed between the end wall panels and flaps with their top edges contiguous to the interior of the top edge folds of the end walls and their bottom edges contiguous to said central panel.

2. A knockdown box composed of two pieces of sheet material, each comprising relatively rigid panels and flaps hingedly connected by fold lines, one of said pieces having bottom, front and back wall panels, the other of said pieces having a'central panel resting upon the bottom panel of the first piece and end wall panels, said front and back wall panels having end flaps engaging the interior faces of said end 'wall panels with their bottom edges closely overlying said central panel, said end wall panels having flaps connected to their top edges and folded inwardly over the top edges of said end flaps, said front wall panel having an inturned flap connected thereto by a fold line at its top edge, the end wall flaps overlying the inner faces of said end flaps and the front wall flap being interposed between the endiwall fiaps'and engaging'the same to hold them against said end flaps, the foldline at the topv edgeof the front wall having a slot .therein, and a lid hinged to the back wall andprovided with a tongue adapted to enter said-slot.

HERBERT CPSKELL. 

